Designing for the Field, Offline, and Hands-Full
Summary
How I reimagined field data collection for scientists who don’t have time to fight their tools
In 2024, I tackled a rugged UX design challenge: build a mobile-first platform for environmental scientists collecting data in disconnected, high-stakes field conditions. Users would be scientists knee-deep in streams, juggling sample vials and gloves—not your average SaaS user.
The goal was to design a tool that enables:
Accurate geolocation and wayfinding without signal
Hands-free data entry
A clean, stress-free interface for scientists in the field
Role
Mid-Senior UX Designer
Contributions
Secondary Research
Field Task Analysis
Competitor Analysis
Rapid Wireframes
Prototyping
Timeline
3 days (2024)
The Problem
The Wilderness
doesn't have great Wi-fi
As I sat catching up with a close friend—freshly graduated as an environmental scientist—I casually asked, "What’s the toughest part of fieldwork?" He mentioned typical stuff like funding, red tape, or lab backlogs. But then he mentioned something that caught my attention:
"We gotta work in extreme conditions. It gets really tiring noting down all the details on our tools when it’s freezing outside, you’re juggling all the equipment. And then the stupid connection goes out!"
Most software is designed assuming stable internet, full dexterity, and ideal lighting. Now, this seemed like a fun challenge to take a look at!
Excel limitations single-handedly driving up Xanax purchases for program managers
After my conversation, I dug deeper into what field scientists actually use on the job. Two tools kept coming up:
Google Maps — great for basic navigation, but lacking context-specific layers or offline control
Felt.com — a promising geospatial tool, but built more for planners than doers
This early competitive analysis helped me realize something key:
Field scientists don’t just need a map. They need a mission dashboard—one that adapts to location, syncs when it can, and doesn’t get in their way.
Basic market research to help define ideations and design elements to tackle
My final designs
Over 3 months, I set out to bridge the gap between Excel's familiarity and the advanced capabilities modern enterprises need.
Feature #1
Collapsible Layout
A simple layout to ensure usability and easy access that does not distract was the goal here, With some basic ideation, this meant Glove-friendly tap zones and swappable tools.
Feature #2
Navigation and Noting
Scientists had great navigation with tools like Google maps. But a non-field specific tool could only so much to help simplify workflows and data entry that a field scientist requires. That's where my tool came in…
Feature #3
Intuitive interaction design
I prioritized easy reachability and reducing the number of clicks to help scientists achieve their goals faster.
A simple tool to tackle
a complex issue
A weekend well spent
A field-friendly design that respects the people doing the real work.
While this was a concept project, it sparked deep feedback and conversation with folks in the climate space—including my scientist friend. The approach has since informed other tools I’ve worked on in the sustainability and enterprise domains.
A final thought
If your user’s freezing, muddy, and losing signal, your design still has to work. Extra hard in some cases. True usability is not just elegant and intuitive, it is also resilient.
